News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 167 - 191 of 917
When Harmony Thomas was a fourth-grader at Sisters Elementary School in the 1980s, life was rough. But a teacher, Julie Gravely, took Thomas under her wing and helped her develop a love for art, which brought some positive results in the young girl’s life almost immediately — and which has inspired Thomas to establish a scholarship through Sisters Graduate Resource Organization (GRO). The organization distributes local scholarships to Sisters High School students to supp... Full story
The Mitchell/Spray/Wheeler football team won the state 1A six-man football title over the Triangle Lake Lakers 30-0 on Saturday, November 13 at Reed Stadium in Sisters. Six-man football, you ask? There’s a history of the six-man game in Sisters. Old-timers and history buffs in Sisters Country know that the Sisters Outlaws won the six-man State title, played in Sisters, all the way back in 1959, their second title in two years. In the smallest rural schools in Oregon, high s... Full story
Sisters High School (SHS) counselor Rick Kroytz is a fervent believer in the impact the ASPIRE mentoring program can have in the lives of high school students as they explore their post-graduation options. Kroytz is the ASPIRE coordinator for the school district and he’s in search of a new crop of mentors to help juniors and seniors at SHS. Sisters High School has long been considered a leader among ASPIRE programs in Oregon, but the impact of COVID-19 has taken a big toll o... Full story
The Sisters School District (SSD) Board of Directors met on Wednesday, November 3, 2021 via Zoom. All board members including Edie Jones, Don Hedrick, David Thorsett, Jeff Smith, and Jenica Cogdill were in attendance. •?Steve Swisher, the budget committee chair and former SSD superintendent, spoke during the community comments, once again sharing his position that the school district proceed thoughtfully when it comes to the use of the current elementary school and district office after the new elementary is completed... Full story
According to the latest timeline published by the Sisters School District, the new elementary school building will be completed for the opening of the 2023-24 school year. Last May, voters approved a $33.8 million bond for the construction of the new school and other district projects. The current elementary school is pressed to capacity, and remodeling the facility was not a viable option, according to Superintendent Curt Scholl. Additionally, Scholl said that the concept of... Full story
Qualification for entry to the OSAA State Championships is on the line for teams in the Oregon West Conference at Thursday’s District meet. The Sisters Outlaws cross-country teams hope to make some noise at the showdown at Lane Community College. The top two teams and top five individuals will advance to the State meet, scheduled for Saturday, November 6, also at Lane. On the boys’ side there is no dominant team favorite, although Philomath appears to be in the driver’s seat b... Full story
A local, a couple, a world traveler, and a Pacific Crest Trail through-hike completer are among the seven new certified staff members at Sisters Middle School for the 2021-22 school year The new staff come as a result of retirement, maternity leave, adds, and moves, according to first year principal Tim Roth. All of the new hires mentioned the draw to Sisters including the sense of community, the support of education here, and the love of the outdoors. One name familiar to the... Full story
The Sisters School Board met for its monthly meeting on Wednesday, October 6 via Zoom. Board members present included Edie Jones, David Thorsett, Jenica Cogdill, and Jeff Smith. Vice-chair Thorsett conducted the meeting in Don Hedrick’s absence. •?Thorsett opened the meeting and the evening’s agenda was amended to move community comments to the end of the meeting. •?Building administrators Steve Stancliff, Tim Roth, and Joan Warburg reported through powerpoint and video on each school’s building-based goals regar... Full story
It’s a year of change at Sisters High School (SHS), with the addition of six new certified staff members along with a new principal. Steve Stancliff, most recently the principal at Pilot Butte Middle School in Bend, took over the helm at SHS this fall, replacing longtime principal Joe Hosang who is doing administrative work at the District office. Stancliff welcomes six new teachers to the building for the 2021-22 school year. Liz DeFranco is working as one of two c... Full story
With seven venues and nearly 100 separate performances over a two-and-a-half-day span, the Sisters Folk Festival (SFF) is a beehive of activity. Considering the logistics required to ensure things run smoothly and safely, it should come as no surprise that it takes nearly 400 volunteers to help pull it off. The Nugget spoke to a few members of this army of volunteers, including a veteran and some newbies. Roger Cole, a first-time volunteer from Portland, decided to help out... Full story
The life of a traveling musician can mean weeks on the road, away from the comforts of home and the support of family. Sisters Folk Festival has been very intentional all the way back to the birth of the event about making the stay for the artists not only easy, but enjoyable. Creative Director Brad Tisdel said, “When it’s all said and done, this community of artists is relatively small, and festivals take on a certain reputation. I think if we treat artists with the res... Full story
The Sisters High School Hall of Fame committee inducted 10 individuals and two teams at a banquet ceremony Saturday, October 2, held in the high school commons. Honorees included seven outstanding athletes, two athletic teams, a musician/athlete, and two special contributors. The inductees represented two “classes” since the event was not able to be held last year due to COVID shutdowns. Hall of Fame cochair Don Pollard explained that the Hall is intended to honor the con... Full story
Varsity runners for the Outlaws cross-country team traveled to Nike Portland for the largest cross-country meet to be held in Oregon this year on Saturday. And they came home with some new perspectives. An estimated 2,500 runners took part in the meet, which included 18 different races and featured schools from all classifications and a number from other states. Some of the top high school runners in the nation raced over the 5,000-meter course and produced eye-popping times.... Full story
The cancellation of the Fresh Hop Fest resulted in a smaller than expected field of runners for the second Sisters Hop Fest Half & 5k — but Race Director Sean Meissner considered the event a success nonetheless. The event did not take place in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. Seventeen runners completed the half-marathon and another 35 took part in the 5-kilometer race, under what Meissner described as “absolutely gorgeous conditions.” Jason Gulley, a physical therapist at Green Ridge Physical Therapy, defended his... Full story
Clear air and a brisk morning helped propel the Sisters High School cross-country teams to a satisfying start to the 2021 competitive season. The Outlaws performed well at the Stayton Invitational held Saturday, September 11. Facing all of the schools in the Oregon West Conference, along with a smattering of 3A and 2A schools as well as 5A South Albany, the Outlaws held their own as individuals and as a team. A combined junior varsity 3,000-meter race of boys and girls... Full story
The regular monthly meeting of the Sisters School Board held Wednesday, September 8 at the school district office never got off the ground, as a group of nine or 10 attendees refused to comply with the statewide indoor mask mandate. Before the official start of the meeting, Board Chair Don Hedrick addressed the audience of approximately 30 people, including staff and administrators, saying that in order to stay in the room masks were required. “If you don’t wear a mask, you must leave,” he said. A cluster of four women stand... Full story
Despite the sad news that the Sisters Fresh Hop Festival, hosted in part by Three Creeks Brewing and Circle of Friends, is not happening this year, the associated Sisters Hop Fest Half-Marathon and 5k will still be taking place, according to race director Sean Meissner. Registration is still open for the race, which is set for Saturday, September 25. The event benefits the Sisters High School swim team. The Sisters Hop Fest Half-Marathon starts and finishes at the Three Creeks Brewing production facility on Barclay Drive in t... Full story
Since 2005, Tony Cosby has directed hundreds of Sisters High School students through the detailed process of building their own guitars. As he eases into his last year of teaching the class on his way to full retirement, Cosby has come up with a plan to bring his former students together for a reunion. A reunion for students from over all the years is scheduled to take place on Sunday, October 17 at the Sisters Artworks building from 4 to 7 p.m. Cosby sees it as a way to... Full story
Do you ever have one of those moments where you experience what my wife refers to as “psycho-magic”? Psycho-magic is when you buy a raffle ticket for a guitar at a folk festival event and just know you are going to win — and do. Psycho-magic is when you pick up a basketball, cold, and from 15 feet behind the backboard and rim, tell your sons, “This is going to be the most amazing shot you have ever seen” and then sink it. Psycho-magic is a “rock, paper, scissors... Full story
News last week regarding the passage of Senate Bill 744 and subsequent approval by Governor Kate Brown might be compared to the wildfires burning all around the State this summer. Citizens are hot. The change in the law suspends for three years the graduation requirement for students to show proficiency in “Essential Learning Skills,” which over the past 13 years has been accomplished through statewide assessments called Smarter-Balanced, as well as other alternate measures and assessments, including the PSAT, ACT, SAT, Wor... Full story
Fall sports at Sisters High School got underway officially on Monday, August 16, and Athletic Director Gary Thorson has a message for all high school students: “Get involved!” The official Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) fall sports season, which includes cross-country, cheer, football, volleyball, and soccer, is scheduled to be back to normal after more than a year of canceled and truncated seasons due to COVID-19. During that span, participation plummeted. Thorson wants to reverse that trend. According to Tho... Full story
The boardroom at the Sisters School District office was packed with over 30 citizens for the monthly meeting held Wednesday, August 4. Most were there to express their opposition of the recent mask mandate for K-12 students handed down by Governor Kate Brown two days earlier. Twelve of those in attendance spoke during the community comment portion of the meeting, addressing concerns about masks along with the issues of critical race theory, bullying, and Black Lives Matter (BLM). Board members in attendance included Jeff Smit... Full story
The Sisters School Board has installed Don Hedrick as its new chair. Hedrick, a long-serving member of the board, takes over for Jay Wilkins, whose term ended this year and who did not seek re-election to the board. David Thorsett was chosen as vice-chair. Hedrick, a retired school principal, is in his 11th year overall in serving on the board, including a previous stint as chair from 2012 to 2016. Over a span of 34 years, Hedrick spent 25 in suburban Chicago as a teacher and administrator, before moving to Oregon in 1982... Full story
The Hoodoo Run to the Top 5k and Half Marathon delivered as advertised, as both courses concluded at the tip top of Hoodoo Butte — an arduous one-mile-plus climb. The Saturday running event drew over 100 entrants in its return to action after being canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. About 50 intrepid runners departed the start at 8 a.m. sharp, for the 13.1-mile course under clear blue skies. The course began at the edge of the Hoodoo parking lot near the access to... Full story
The Olympic Trials last month in Eugene provided my first opportunity to see the new Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus, which replaced the old historic facility. I have to be honest, I felt a bit of ambivalence about the thought of entering the spaceship-like stadium in place of the wooden, green-painted East Grandstands that literally came to the edge of lane eight, close enough for athletes on their victory lap to high five adoring fans. But once inside and... Full story
